John j



(No Model.)

J. J. RANGE.

CASH REGISTER.

No. 479,335. Patented July 19,1892.

NiTnn STATES JOHN J. RANGE, OF NORTHAMPTON,

PATENT OTTTQE.

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CASH-REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,335, dated July 19, 1892. Application filed February 16,1892- Serial No, 421,767. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN J. RANGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at North ampton, in the county of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cash-Registers, of which the following is a specification.

In many cash-registers, as wellknown, there is comprised, in addition to a series of keylevers for operating the register and also on each registering operation thereof unlocking the cash-drawer, whereby it may be opened, a key-lever termed the blank key, which has no connection with the register, but merely unlocks the cash-drawer.

The object of this invention, which relates to cash-registering machines embodying a blankkey, as explained, is to provide improved devices for special and sole action relative to the blank key, whereby without respect to any of the register-keys that key may be locked against any swinging movement, said devices being capable of movement into disengaging relations with the blank key, and to be so constructed, that in any event and even should the locking device be in its location for engagement after the blank key has been swung into its position for unlocking the drawer, such key may be restored to its normal position, no impediment to such restoring movement being constituted by the presence of the locking device, the latter, however, coming into engagement with the blank key immediately the key has come into its normal position.

To this end the invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, all substantially as will hereinafter fully appear, and be set forth in the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view and vertical section of a cash-register, showing a bank of register operating key-levers and the blank key and in connection with the latter the blank-key-locking device. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the locking device.

It is to be understood that in the cash-re ister, partially shown in the drawings all of the key-levers a, which are shown as having indicating-figures thereon corresponding to amounts represented by said key-levers, are in operative engagement with the register by the intervention of well-known mechanism, while the key 1) (shown at the front of the view) is entirely independent of the registering mechanism and all as usual in registers of the type represented. All of the key-levers a a and b are arranged relative to the tilting plate d, so that as any one of the keylevers is swung the plate will be tilted, and, through the linkf and arm 6, the shaft or bar Q will be rocked. This rocking effects the swinging of the arm 72/ and lifting of the bolt j from its latching engagement with the cashdrawer B.

The locking mechanism for the blank-key lever consists of a handle-bar A, mounted in a slideway formed on the end upright 00 of the frame for a bodily movement about horizontally forward and backward, and the pawl m, pivoted on the rear extremity of the said handle-bar and held by the spring or against the stop-pin o in an upwardly and rearwardly inclined position. The said slideway, as shown, consists of the parallel lips M, the inner edges of which form the supports and guides for the pawl-carrying handlebar, which latter has the longitudinal slot q, through which the screw r passes that enters, it is understood, to the frame and which by its head or the washer 0*, which is held thereby, on the outer face of the bar, )revents the outward displacement of the bar.

In Fig. l the pawl-carrying bar is shown in full lines as slid rearwardly, so that the pawl is carried bodily beyond and out of engagement with the rear end of the blank key, while in the dotted lines the key-engaging relation of the parts are shown.

It will of course be understood that when the blank-key lever is locked and the casing closed and locked there can be no access to the cash-drawer, except on the movement of the register-actuating levers a, which will only be when a cash-receipt is recorded and the corresponding sum deposited in the drawer. Should the proprietor desire to operate the blank key for the purpose of opening the drawer without actuating the register, this he can do after opening the casing by pushing back the bar, and at his option of course he can leave the machine so that when the casing is locked any person can operate the blank key. Should the authorized person slide the bar rearward and then depress the forward end of the blank key, elevating the rear end thereof above the pawl and then inadvertently forwardly return the pawl-carrying bar before the restoration of the blank-key lever to its normal position, the blank-key lever may nevertheless be restored to its normal position, for the rear end of the lever will on its return movement impinge construction is not had by the owner of the machine.

WVhat I claim isy In a cash-registering machine, the combination, with a cash-drawer and a locking device therefor, of a series of key-levers having an operative connection with the register and a blank-key lever, which, together with the register-keylevers, is in operative connection with the cash-drawer-locking device, and a handle-bar mounted for a sliding movement forward and back on a stationary support which is adjacent the blank key, and said handlebar having thereon a pivoted pawl locatedin a plane coincident with the course of movement of the blank-key lever, which is held normally forwardly spring-pressed and Which has an upward and rearward inclination, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

JOHN J. RANGE. Witnesses:

WM. S. BELLoWs, THERESA F. DENEM. 

